Top 17 Practical AWS Interview questions and answers for DevOps | Part 2
few technical interview questions based on hand’s experience.
Question-1: Can you explain a time when you had to troubleshoot an issue with an AWS application?
Answer: In my previous role, we had an issue with an EC2 instance not responding to incoming traffic. After reviewing the logs, we discovered that the security group rules were misconfigured, causing the instance to reject incoming traffic. We adjusted the security group rules to allow the incoming traffic, and the issue was resolved.
Question-2: Describe a time when you had to optimize an AWS application for cost efficiency.
Answer: In my previous role, we were using Amazon RDS to manage our databases, and we noticed that the storage usage was increasing rapidly. We reviewed the database size and determined that we could save costs by changing the database instance type and setting up automated database snapshots to help manage the storage usage. These changes resulted in significant cost savings.
Question-3: How have you ensured high availability and fault tolerance for an AWS application?
Answer: In a previous project, we implemented AWS Elastic Load Balancers and Auto Scaling Groups to ensure that our application could handle sudden spikes in traffic and maintain high availability. We also set up Amazon CloudWatch to monitor the performance of the application and alert us in case of any failures, allowing us to quickly respond and ensure fault tolerance.
Question-4: Can you explain a time when you implemented security measures for an AWS application?
Answer: In my previous role, we implemented several security measures for an AWS application, including setting up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all AWS accounts, enabling AWS CloudTrail to monitor and log all API activity, and encrypting data at rest using AWS Key Management Service (KMS). We also regularly conducted vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify and mitigate potential security risks.
Question-5:How have you migrated an on-premise application to AWS?
Answer: In a previous project, we migrated an on-premise application to AWS by first conducting a thorough analysis of the application’s requirements and dependencies. We then created a detailed migration plan, which included creating an AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), setting up EC2 instances, and migrating data to Amazon RDS. We also set up AWS Direct Connect to ensure secure and reliable connectivity between the on-premise environment and the AWS environment during the migration process.
Question-7: Can you describe a time when you used AWS to process and analyze large datasets?
Answer: In my previous role, we used Amazon EMR (Elastic MapReduce) to process and analyze large datasets. We set up a cluster of EC2 instances with Hadoop and Apache Spark installed, and used Amazon S3 to store the input and output data. We also used AWS Glue to automate the data transformation and loading process, and Amazon QuickSight to visualize the analyzed data. This allowed us to process and analyze large datasets efficiently and effectively.
Question-8: How have you implemented disaster recovery for an AWS application?
Answer: In a previous project, we implemented disaster recovery for an AWS application by using AWS Route 53 to route traffic to a secondary region in case of a failure in the primary region. We also set up Amazon S3 cross-region replication to ensure that the data was replicated to the secondary region in real-time. Additionally, we created automated backups of the application data using Amazon S3 and Amazon Glacier to ensure that we could quickly restore the data in case of a disaster.
Question-9: Can you describe a time when you used AWS Lambda to automate a process?
Answer: In a previous project, we used AWS Lambda to automate the process of resizing images uploaded to our application. We set up a Lambda function that would trigger automatically when an image was uploaded, resize the image to multiple sizes, and store the resized images in Amazon S3. This saved us a significant amount of time and resources, and allowed us to scale the image resizing process easily.
Question-10: Can you describe a time when you had to troubleshoot a performance issue in an AWS application?
Answer: In a previous project, we had an issue where the application was slow to respond to user requests. After reviewing the logs, we identified that the application was experiencing high CPU usage. We then analyzed the application’s resource utilization using Amazon CloudWatch and identified that the database queries were taking longer than expected. We optimized the database queries and improved the performance of the application.
Question-11: Can you explain a time when you had to handle a security incident in an AWS environment?
Answer: In a previous role, we had a security incident where an unauthorized user gained access to an AWS account. We immediately disabled the user’s access and changed all passwords and access keys associated with the account. We then conducted a thorough investigation to determine how the unauthorized user gained access and implemented additional security measures, such as setting up AWS GuardDuty to detect and respond to future security threats.
Question-12: Can you describe a time when you had to architect a highly scalable AWS application?
Answer: In a previous project, we architected a highly scalable AWS application by using Amazon API Gateway to manage the application’s API layer and Amazon Lambda to handle the application logic. We also used Amazon DynamoDB to store the application data and set up Amazon CloudFront to distribute the application content globally. We implemented auto scaling policies and monitoring using Amazon CloudWatch to ensure that the application could handle sudden spikes in traffic and maintain high availability.
Question-14: Can you explain a time when you had to optimize a complex AWS architecture?
Answer: In a previous role, we had a complex AWS architecture with multiple services and components. We conducted a thorough review of the architecture and identified several areas where we could optimize the infrastructure. We consolidated some of the services and components, optimized the database queries, and implemented caching mechanisms to improve the application’s performance. We also implemented cost-saving measures, such as using reserved instances and spot instances for EC2 instances.
Question-15: Can you describe a time when you had to implement a disaster recovery plan for an AWS application?
Answer: In a previous project, we implemented a disaster recovery plan for an AWS application by setting up AWS Elastic Beanstalk to deploy the application in multiple regions. We also implemented Amazon Route 53 to route traffic to the active region and set up Amazon S3 cross-region replication to ensure that the data was replicated in real-time. Additionally, we created automated backups of the application data using Amazon S3 and Amazon Glacier and tested the disaster recovery plan regularly to ensure that we could quickly restore the application in case of a disaster.
Question-16: Can you explain a time when you had to optimize an AWS application’s database performance?
Answer: In a previous role, we optimized an AWS application’s database performance by implementing several measures. We reviewed the database schema and identified areas where we could optimize the database structure. We also implemented indexing and caching mechanisms to reduce the database queries’ response time. We optimized the database instance type and allocated the appropriate amount of storage to improve the database’s performance.
Question-17: Can you describe a time when you had to implement an AWS solution for compliance requirements?
Answer: In a previous project, we had to implement an AWS solution to meet compliance requirements for storing sensitive data. We implemented AWS Key Management Service (KMS) to encrypt the data at rest and Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) to store the encrypted data. We also set up AWS CloudTrail to monitor and log all API activity and implemented access controls and permissions to ensure that only authorized users could access the sensitive data. Additionally, we conducted regular audits to ensure that we were meeting the compliance requirements.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article, feel free to add your comments, thoughts or feedback and Please get in touch on LinkedIn: Manoj M Kumar | LinkedIn
